by Michael Sherer
It was a real treat to hear this living legend, especially in the spacious, classy and high rise venue Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center. It’s located adjacent to Columbus Circle on Broadway at 60th Street, Manhattan. Mr. Cole, 84, still plays piano and sings at a high level and has a fine band. They are Harry Allen on tenor saxophone, Herman Burney on bass, Henry Conerway on drums and Chris Kaiser on guitar. Each instrument sounded clear and the blend of them all was very tasteful. The volume was just right.
The theme was love songs for Valentine’s Day, and there were many gems. My favorites were “Blame It On My Youth,” “Where Can I Go Without You,” “Since I Fell In Love With You,” “Never Trust A Woman’s Kiss,” “Say That You’ll Be Mine,” “It Was All My Fault” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
by Michael Sherer
West 42nd Street in NYC’s Times Square has an old nick name: “The Deuce.” BB King’s club on this street was treated to a romp from one of the pioneers and most influential of the first wave of rock and rollers from the 1950’s who also has a nick name, and a formidable one: “The Killer,” Jerry Lee Lewis, even at 80, rocked the house.
Lewis’ band came on with out him and played for a good twenty minutes. Led by guitarist Kenny Lovelace, all the band were from Nashville, with Lovelace saying he’s from Memphis after introducing the others. They were crack, veteran players who set the stage with an extended introduction for the ringmaster at his piano. Looking very good for his age and dressed in a dark suit upon strolling out, Lewis can still play and sing convincingly. The mostly full club ate it up with much enthusiasm, cheering several times. Prior to Lewis coming on a short documentary about him was played on the screens to the sides of the stage.
by Michael Sherer
The reunion of Brad Whitford and Derek St. Holmes, of Aerosmith and Ted Nugent Band fame respectively, has been a long time coming. They formed in the early ‘80’s after leaving their bands, those being Aerosmith and Ted Nugent. They released one record in ‘81, titled simply Whitford/St. Holmes, and soon fizzled out.
They’ve now written and recorded nine songs that comprise a new album entitled Reunion, being released early ‘16, unless you bought it at one of their shows during their brief club tour of ten dates. Their reunion is surely not about sales or making much money, though. It’s about the enjoyment of playing with an old friend in a relaxed, simple setting, that being clubs to intimate audiences as they did in their youth before any fame.
by Michael Sherer
I find that versatility and having the ability to combine a cross range of musical genres is one of the most important qualities to posses. Joe Jackson, pianist, keyboardist, saxophonist, harmonica player, composer, lyricist and singer, certainly has it. And so does his band, as he’s not going to have any slouches with him. They combine jazz, swing, classical, rock, blues, salsa, techno, dance and more.
Jackson, 61, (born David Ian Jackson) has been recording since 1979, after being signed by A & M Records. He’s been prolific, having released nineteen more since his debut. Jackson’s latest was released early last month by Caroline/Universal. Titled Fast Forward, Jackson still sounds inspired and has always stayed true to his muse and broadening musical forays.
by John Noyd
Declaring their intentions right from the start, Garbage kicked off their sold-out Madison show with, “Subhuman,” and the line, “burn down your all your idols.” Dropping the curtain for, ” Supervixen,” the band exposed a well-oiled machine engulfed in blinding lights and purple haze with pink princess, Shirley Manson holding court. Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their self-titled debut, the Twenty Years Queer tour spotlights the heady years of 1995-96 with a robust roster of international hits, b-sides and covers. Even the pre-show music of Cornershop and Stereo MCs circled around those transformational years when Garbage exploded on the scene with their techno-funky synthesis of rock and electronics; flirting with convention and trashing preconceived notions of gender and power.
As the city where much of this all started, Madison greeted the band with unchecked adoration, gobbling up every reference to Madtown Ms. Manson threw out, turning the Orpheum into a mosh-pit of mutual appreciation among old friends. “This is our home away from home,” Shirley announced at the beginning of their exhaustive two hour performance and soon followed it up with stories of being hammered at Cafe Montmartre, flying into Madison for the first time and her experiences with downtown hotels from cockroaches to yellow satin waterbeds.
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